1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system, and, more specifically, to a computer-implemented method, a data processing system, and a computer program product for target routing by initiator using Internet small computer systems interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a typical system implementation, an Internet small computer systems interface (iSCSI) driver acts as an Internet small computer systems interface protocol initiator to transport small computer systems interface (SCSI) requests and responses over an Internet protocol (IP) network between a client and an Internet small computer systems interface-enabled target device, such as a storage router. The Internet small computer systems interface protocol is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)-defined protocol for Internet protocol storage. More information about the Internet small computer systems interface protocol may be found at the Internet Engineering Task Force web site as document RFC3720 for the Internet Small Computer Systems Interface.
Architecturally, the Internet small computer systems interface driver combines with the client transmission control program/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) stack, network drivers, and network interface cards (NICs) to provide the same functions as a Small computer systems interface adapter driver with a host bus adapter (HBA) implementing a hardware initiator. An operating system image may run as a network installation management (NIM) diskless model using network file system (NFS) mounted file systems.
In a network installation management implementation, an Internet small computer systems interface managed endpoint is an endpoint that installs and boots over a software target exported to the managed endpoint. Current target boot and dump routing drivers require the platform to boot and dump from the same Internet small computer systems interface target device. In the existing Internet small computer systems interface device model, the Internet small computer systems interface target is mapped to a local device such as a disk or logical volume. The model requires that all space be allocated in advance, even if that space is never used.